She's Armed ..... and Legged!
Amy, my older daughter out in California, is a sworn police officer.
She has been serving and protecting the San Francisco Bay area for 8 years and wears a badge and has a Glock in her holster.
But long, long ago, before the
Police Academy , she began as a stand-up comic, armed only with a microphone.
Today, somehow, she manages to keep both careers going.
In addition to finely-tuned and clever funny routines that have her crowds in stitches, she has developed quite a few characters over the years. Some REALLY strange ones.
Her energetic later years
"Elvis" performance redefines
impersonator.
And Helga, the Eastern Europe/Russian ballet dancer who pushes a motorcycle on stage, is quite engaging and has a different accented humor.
But I am still laughing at San Diego club owners who hired her in 1983 when she was only 17 and already drawing a crowd.
They did not have a clue of the irony when they booked her ...and billed her... as
Boyd Where Prohibited.
Labels: ballerina, Bay Area, Eastern Europe, Elvis, Glock, Helga, motorcycle, Police Academy, police officer, prohibited, Russian, San Diego clubs
Two Fun Music Venues..
Usually I don't talk about music acts that have come and gone - like Johnny Rawls seen here - but the
18th Annual Blues Bash had a surprise venue that really was outstanding.
Jeanne, the founder of JB Pivot's, coined the phrase
"Shut up and shag" 22 years ago and it's been a staunch supporter of beach music and the blues ever since.
Harriet bought the club 11 years ago and told the Blues Bash she wanted to be a major venue - booking acts all 10 nights. Wow. That's commitment to live music.
If you've never stopped by, check out the Beach Club on Savannah Highway (behind Shoney's). They teach dancing the Shag Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
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Another delightful venue is the Map Room on Sam Ritt.
Diverse bookings offer many surprises and on March 1 - every first Saturday of the month - get over there to enjoy the
V Tones.
Bring the kids and let them run and dance as this zany crew brings back Vaudeville, the Roaring 20s, Klezmer and Ragtime.
Starting early (6:00 -9:00pm) they amuse and amaze with Kazoos, ukeleles, tap dancing and a drummer who plays a floor lamp.
Good family fare by a talented, offbeat group that's been around for years.
Labels: baritone uke, beach music, JB Pivot's Beach Club, kazoo, Klezmer, Map Room, Ragtime, Sam Ritt, Shut up and shag, ukelele, vaudeville
Record-setting photo...
Because I am interested in ALL things having to do with photography, I enjoy looking at www.photojojo.com to see what craziness it comes up with each day.
Here is my take on its suggested
"Vinyl Head."
Obviously this is aimed at an older audience -
Baby Boomers perhaps - people who remember vinyl record albums. That was even BEFORE 8-tracks.
To do this you have to have some old dusty albums sitting around and then choose one that has a large face to make the photo work. Try a few and see the unusual results.
PhotoJoJo also reports on a photo fad that started in the UK and now has spread everywhere - combining faces with currency.
This DOES require some skill with PhotoShop or similar software but the results are startling.
Brad Pitt meets U.S. Grant is a good example of a pairing.
Many samples are posted on the website.
Hmmmm. I have old albums but I don't seem to have a $50 bill.
Labels: $50, 8-tracks, albums, Brad Pitt, PhotoJoJo, US Grant, vinyl records
Sign? What sign?
SEWE I guess is the official kick-off of the Charleston
Tourism Season.
People come here to dress funny, to cross streets against the light - or in the middle of the block - and generally ignore most of the standard rules that restrict them at home.
And, even though tourists are in
"season," we aren't allowed to hunt them.
Labels: crosswalks, hunting season, parking, SEWE, tourists
Digital AND Film Cameras ....
The first meeting of the 21st Century Photography group met last night and 11 of us talked about cameras, darkroom experiences, Charleston area photo shoots and ...the next meeting. One member has already sent his RSVP for next month!
Purely as a social gathering, it was fun at the Madra Rua Irish Pub and Grill and many sampled the
"Pub Grub" as well as a few pints. Well, I know I did.
As promised, everyone received an "official" Press Pass and, when asked where they could use it, I was reminded of years ago when my kid brother bought a wallet that had a dummy press pass for
"The Continental Baseball League" in one of the picture sleeves.
He used it several times to get in free to see baseball games at the old College Park.
We kicked around a lot of ideas and agreed the next meeting place should have a separate room where we could face each other around a conference-type table instead of sitting at different tables and having little circles of conversation.
Also a Power Point video projector was offered for the March 12th meeting so each could bring his or her favorite pictures burned to a CD/DVD to share them on a large screen.
Our meetings are scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm - probably still in the North Charleston area. It looks like North Towne (Greek) Grill on Eagle Landing Blvd has what we need for a site and they've booked us into a private room. If you wish to attend, go to meetup.com and check out the details.
Oh, and be sure to RSVP. It really helps the planning.
Labels: Baseball League, CD/DVD, College Park, fake credentials, free admission, press passes, wallet
Just a few more days.
The Manager at
Madra Rua Irish Pub and Grill has been alerted that a small group of Charleston area photographers plan to assemble there Wednesday at 7pm to discuss 21st century photography -
film and digital.
As the humble organizer (Hey, with a blog named "Chuckography" you had to assume I had a camera!) I anxiously wait to see how many of those who sent a positive RSVP actually will show up.
Of course, you ALL are invited. The details are in the link above. Click on the title.
If I am the only one there, I can always have a Boddingtons and some great fish and chips. And, yes, I will have my camera with me.
Labels: 21st Century, cameras, digital and film, Madra Rua, Meetup.com, Wednesday
BEST Super Bowl (Ads) Ever!
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I didn't even call Andolini's for pizza until 7:00pm. They said it was quiet, all the tv football fans had crowded in and gone. Whew.
Went by and picked up my pepperoni pie and got to my buddy's house around 7:45. We opened beers, took a slice and started watching the kickoff. On the giant plasma screen. With his built-in recorder. The game started when WE decided it would start.
THIS was the year we would watch and re-watch the Super Bowl....
commercials.
The best - we agreed - was the
Bridgestone Tire one with the squirrel in the road, the swerving car and the screeching animals. Yeah! Ran that one backwards and forwards.
Oh, the Patriots did not have an unbeaten season.
Labels: commercials, giant plasma, pepperoni pie, recorder, squirrel, Super Bowl
The Camera Doesn't Lie.....yeah, right!
So it's the last day of the annual
"Be A Tourist In Your Own Town"
and I am checking off places I will visit..the Aquarium, the Military Museum, the Powder Magazine and...Karpeles Manuscript Museum.
Fascinating to look at pieces of paper that give us a written link to the famous and some infamous. I was reminded how often Popes - and their families - were involved in history.
I stepped out and crossed the street to take a picture of the former church that houses one of the nine Karpeles Museums across the country and realized Spring Street obviously has never considered underground power lines. No way to avoid them.But, of course, that was before PhotoShop.
I am organizing a
Photography Meetup February 13, at 7:00pm at Madra Rua Irish Pub & Grill in North Charleston, near Park Circle. I sure hope a few people versed in PhotoShop will sign up and attend.
I can use a LOT of help.
Labels: American Military Museum, Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Madra Rua, Meetup.com, PhotoShop, Pope, Powder Magazine, SC Aquarium, Spring Street, underground utilities
Amy, my older daughter out in California, is a sworn police officer. 
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